Wednesday, March 14, 2007

Ongoing HPV Vaccine Debate

The HPV vaccine from Merck continues to make the news and inspire debate. The Nation published "Who's Afraid of Gardasil?" online ahead of the March 26 print issue in which it will appear. The piece indicates that as many as 31 state legislatures are considering requiring the vaccine, and estimates that Merck stands to make $4 billion per year on the product. Concerns about the role of Merck's political contributions in influencing legislators and the Women in Government group who have supported the vaccine push are described, as is the problem that Merck's swift push to require the vaccine has generated controversy and opposition where a slower, more measured approach might have had more success.